Gerogon Lenses for 810 Enlarging?

[Jess C]

Sorry if this has been discussed before but after selling my 240mm Rodenstock Rodagon some time back (stupid thing I did) I am now in search for an enlarging lens that will sufficiently cover 810. I have been looking at Rodagon replacements and apparently the prices have increased rather substantially since I sold mine. In my search one lens seems to pop up and that is the Gerogon which, as I understand, is/was a lens used in process cameras. In particular how would a 270mm f9 Gerogon perform as an 810 enlarging lens compared to other offerings from Rodenstock such as the 240 Rodagon I sold or even the 300mm Rodagon?

The other problem is that I want to use the lens on my Beseler 45 VXL with the 810 cold light head and so the mounting flange will probably be an issue with Beseler's 4" lens boards. The 240 I sold had the flange filed flat and flush with the lens board on two sides to properly fit into the lens stage.

I have an 8ft ceiling and I want to be able to do 16x20 or larger and I will probably have to design and build an enlarging table with a drop down baseboard to give me better print size options. The 240 Rodagon still seems to be my best bet but would be interested in your thoughts/experiences in this area. Is the Gerogon series lenses worthy as an enlarging lens, in particular, the 270mm? What is the size of the mounting flange and would this be too big to be accommodated by the standard 4" Beseler lens board?

[Bob Salomon]

Terribly. It simply isn't an enlarging lens. The 210 Rodagon fully covers 810.

[Jess C]

Terribly. It simply isn't an enlarging lens. The 210 Rodagon fully covers 810.

Thanks, Bob, for your response. Well after a lot of searching I ended up pulling the trigger on a 300mm f5.6 Rodagon that
will be more than enough coverage for 810 negatives. I just hope that its focal length isn't too big for my Beseler 45 VXL to handle. I want to be able to enlarge up to 16x20 and possibly 20x24 if the need should ever arise. I was wanting to go with a 240 but since most of my printing 11x14 and 16x20 I think I will be fine with the 300 as long as I don't have any issues mounting the lens to the lens board. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the mounting flange for the 300 is the same size (72mm) as the 240? I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[Bob Salomon]

Unless you are going to try to modify your lensboard the 300 mm probably will not fit. I believe you are limited to a 50mm flange.

[Ginette]

... The 210 Rodagon fully covers 810.

Mr Salomon, do you really talk about the 210mm to covers 8x10? The Rodagon 210mm have a 58mm flange, I think. It can be a good option in the case of a small lensboard and a low ceiling.

[ic-racer]

Sk Grimes can adapt a 240 Rodagon enlarging lens to that enlarger: http://www.apug.org/forums/viewpost.php?p=921824

[Jess C]

Thanks, IC. If the 300 I have coming doesn't readily fit I will have to go that route with SK Grimes.

[Neal Chaves]

You can open up the throat of the 45VXL to take much larger lenses. Just trace the front left corner of the opening, remove the lens mount board and take a sabre saw to it. The round opening is only required for the use of the turret and no 8X10 lenses will fit the turret anyway. I doubt just notching it out would affect turret use in any way.

[Jess C]

You can open up the throat of the 45VXL to take much larger lenses. Just trace the front left corner of the opening, remove the lens mount board and take a sabre saw to it. The round opening is only required for the use of the turret and no 8X10 lenses will fit the turret anyway. I doubt just notching it out would affect turret use in any way.

I have thought of that but I'm also considering having a 6"x7" board made to fit in place of the 3 bolt adapter plate that the 4" board fits into. I can have the board milled to the appropriate diameter and then I won't be restricted to the standard Beseler 4" board. I can use the existing threaded holes to attach the new board with some new threaded bolts and new lens board leveling set screws.

Thanks for your input. I appreciate it.

[Bob Salomon]

yes